Mobile devices, such as mobile telephones, often use touchscreen displays. Touchscreen displays enable a user to view information on a mobile device's display, while also enabling the user to provide inputs, issue commands, launch applications, etc. using the same display as an input. For example, a user can touch a power button, home button, or other device input to enable the touchscreen, and then take various actions such as placing an outgoing phone call via touch input on the touchscreen display.
Pocket-dialing refers to the accidental placement of a phone call while a mobile phone is in the owners pocket or handbag. Pocket-dialing usually occurs by unintentionally clicking and swiping the touchscreen. The recipient of the call typically hears random background noise when answering the phone. If the caller remains unaware, the recipient will sometimes overhear whatever is happening in the callers vicinity, such as sensitive and/or private content. Pocket-dialing might also incur extra charges from the caller. Pocket-dialing could also be made to emergency contacts or services causing unintentional chaos and a privacy vulnerability.
In order to prevent the problems that result from pocket-dialing, an infrared sensor or an ambient light sensor may be used by a mobile device to attempt to detect whether the user has initiated an action on the mobile device. Such sensors, however, only potentially detect presence or proximity of the user to the mobile device, which can still result in the unintended pocket-dialing scenarios described above.